Destination Moon Page #5

- Nonsense, you made this trip possible.

Spaceship Luna calling Washington.

Come on then, Doc.

This is your moment.

Let's get into our spacesuits.

Let's go.

Come on.

Claim it, Doc. I'm your witness.

Claim it officially.

By the grace of God, and in the name of

the United States of America...

I take possession of this planet on

behalf of, and for the benefit of...

all mankind.

Dr. Cargraves!

Mr. Barnes!

Yes? - I'm in contact with Washington.

There's terrific excitement on Earth!

We're hooked up to all the networks.

They just interviewed the General.

They want to interview you two. I've

patched your radio into the transmitter.

I hooked up our receiver too. You can

have a two-way conversation with them.

Okay, go ahead Earth!

Hello! Hello on the moon!

This is Carl Zurski, greeting you

from the Earth.

The people of the world congratulate

you for your epoch-making achievement!

Thank you.

I must explain to the listeners of the

lag between...

my voice and those from the moon is due

to the vastness of space.

It takes 3 seconds even at the speed

of light, for radio waves to travel...

between the Earth and moon.

Can you tell us where you landed?

The astronomers at Palomar say they

could see you if they knew where to look

We landed in the crater Harpalus...

which is in the upper NW quadrant of

the moon as seen from North America.

Is Dr. Cargraves hooked in?

- Yes.

Can you give us your first impressions

of the moon, Dr. Cargraves?

Well, I'll try.

The first impression is...

one of utter barrenness

and desolation.

Then the silence...

As there is not air, the only sound

we hear comes through our radios.

The sky is...

black.

Velvet black and pierced by the most

intensely...

brilliant stars anyone ever dreamed of.

Hanging over the mountains in the

distance, I can see our own planet Earth

many times larger

than the harvest moon.

I see most of the Western Hemisphere...

and I can also see it's about sunrise

in San Francisco.

It's afternoon here...

and will be for a couple of more days.

Now perhaps, Jim Barnes

can add something.

As a matter of record...

may I report that the moment he sat

foot on the moon...

Dr. Cargraves claimed possession

in the name of the United States...

for the benefit of all mankind!

This is great and wonderful news for

the people of the Earth! Thank you!

The Naval Station in Washington will

stand by 24 hours a day for....

further signals from you.

Goodbye and good luck!

Roger.

Doc, I'll never get use to this.

This must weigh 500 or 600 pounds!

On Earth it does. Gravity here

is about 1/6 as much.

That means things weigh 1/6 as much.

I know it, but I can't believe it.

General, look!

Sweeney, cut that out!

What's the matter? If I could do that

back home, I'd be an acrobat!

We've got too much to do and too little

time for any more clowning.

Let's get on with our schedule!

I'm suppose to help you with the

astronomical photos, Doc.

I can't for a bit. I've got to Earth

and get Hastings to give us...

revised figures for our trip back.

Well, I'll just have to wait for you.

- Joe, you help him.

I can handle the radio.

Joe was going to help me with the

mineralogical survey!

You can get along without him.

You've only got one Geiger Counter.

But don't lose sight of the ship!

That's a rule for everybody!

Okay, Skipper.

I'll help you later, General.

I'm for seeing what there is to see!

I don't figure on staying here too

long anyway. Do you know why?

No beer, no babes, no baseball!

- You got it!

Well Doc, I'll pack this little gadget.

I'll join you after I talk to Hastings.

Say Doc, there is one thing I'd like

as a souvenir of the trip.

How about taking a picture of me up

here alongside the camera?

Sure Joe, that's not too much to ask.

Give me the little camera.

Move a little closer!

That's it!

Wait a minute, I have a better idea.

Come over here.

Now turn around...

Now hold your arm up.

Bend your elbow as though you were

holding a heavy weight.

Now your hand...

That's it. Hold it!

Okay. That'll be something to show!

What is it Doc?

- You and the Earth.

You're holding it up

like a modern Atlas.

Hey, that's something Doc.

There's only one thing...

- What's that?

Nobody will know it's me

in this diving suit!

Hey, Doc!

Joe!

Over here!

Behind you!

Charles, I picked up clicks.

Here, hold this.

I picked them up a few yards back.

They are stronger in this direction.

Listen to this.

There's a trace, eh?

- What is it, Doc?

I'm not sure. - These mountains may

have a real deposit.

Uranium?

- It's possible.

Then you could blow up the moon too.

Ain't that dandy!

Check your reaction mass.

Point 8672.

What? Repeat that.

Yes, point 8672.

I wasted power making

a very bad landing.

I'll have to compute it,

but it looks bad.

We have to get you back.

Jettison every ounce.

All your forward tanks are empty.

Can you rip them out?

Not without tearing the ship apart.

She wasn't built for it.

I'll call at the same time 24 hours

from now. I'll give you the answers.

Be able to tell me how much you

lightened the ship...

and I'll tell you if you can make it.

I'll stand by 24 hours from now.

Just get us back home.

That's all I ask.

Hello, Jim!

We've got news for you!

- I have for you too. All of you.

This is right up your alley, Jim.

- Hold it, General.

Sit down the camera, Joe and Doc.

It's no use to us.

I haven't shot more than a half

a dozen plates.

That's all you'll be able to shoot.

- What's the matter?

I just talked to Dr. Hastings

at Dry Wells.

I gave our instrument readings.

Reaction mass, mass ratio...

checked our time.

Well?

- Our time is okay.

Nothing else is.

What are you talking about, Skipper?

Everything on the board is ticking.

I checked every instrument. All alive.

So are we. For awhile.

I don't get it.

We have to lighten the ship!

Our job for the next 24 hours is to

get rid of everything we can.

Or stay here ourselves.

Hastings will give me the answers at

07:
30 tomorrow.

Well, let's not panic until

we've talked to him again.

Meanwhile... - We go back to the ship

and strip off everything we can!

Acceleration couch pad 4.

Serial number 706. Schedule B.

706 Schedule B, check.

And the schedule itself!

That's everything that you can get out?

3 of our spacesuits will be dropped

before takeoff.

One will be used in the airlock

to dump the others.

Skipper, I'll dump the stuff.

It'll take me 15 minutes to check again.

I'll give you the answer asap.

Here's the wash!

36 hours.

36 hours, what?

Until takeoff time.

It's then or a month from then.

That means never.

Spaceship Luna, Spaceship Luna.

Spaceship Luna, Barnes speaking.

Here's the total: you've taken out

almost 2 tons.

Before takeoff, drop all the oxygen

except what you need to get back on.

Before takeoff, you can drop

your remaining food.

You can hold yourselves to

a pint of water a day...

and throw the rest of your drinking

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